The New York Knicks went through practice on Monday with OG Anunoby on the floor in full, a strong sign he will be available when they open the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Coach Mike Brown would not go all the way to a guarantee. He said everyone, including Anunoby, had practiced fully, but stopped short of saying whether every player would be active. Brown said he would listen to what the medical staff has to say, and when asked for more, he answered, “I don’t know anything.”
For Anunoby, the likely return comes after a hamstring strain that first surfaced in Game 2 of the semifinal series against Philadelphia, when he initially tweaked the hamstring. The injury was described at the time as little more than a tweak rather than something more severe, and by Tuesday’s opening tip he will have had just shy of three weeks of rest and recovery.
That timeline is why his status has felt like one of the worst-kept secrets around the series opener. Barring a surprising setback, Anunoby will be out there when the Knicks begin their Eastern Conference Finals run against Cleveland.
The uncertainty still matters because Brown has been cautious about player availability throughout the postseason, and he has shown no interest in overruling the medical staff. But the signs on Monday pointed in one direction, and the Knicks appear to be heading into Game 1 with one of their most important defenders back in the mix.
